With the holidays fast approaching, the idea of taking a trip to a new country or city may seem appealing. But with all the planning and costs involved, it can be pretty overwhelming. Fear not! I have put together 3 tips that will hopefully motivate you to finally book that flight to the country you’ve always wanted to visit.

Plan ahead

When it comes to taking a trip, it is highly essential to plan ahead of time. An important thing to remember when planning a trip is that prices start to increase as the day you plan on taking your trip gets closer. Booking a flight or making any hotel reservations a couple of months in advance can save you a lot of money. A great website to use to find affordable flights is skyscanner.com. Based on where you plan on visiting, this website compares the airfares of multiple airline companies, and then provides you with a list of the most affordable ones. And finally, planning ahead allows you to have enough time to apply for visas, travel insurance, or obtain any additional travel documents that may be required to enter a country.

Create a budget ahead of time

When planning a trip, creating a budget can be very useful. Before you take a trip, consider doing some research to get a sense of what the cost of living in the country is, as this help you determine how much money you will need for the trip. From there, you can create a budget that realistically outline how much you will spend each day. It is always better to over-budget than under-budget, as the last thing we want happening is you getting stranded in a new country.

Look for alternative forms of accommodation

There is no doubt that hotels can get expensive, especially if you plan on staying in a country for a long period. So instead of spending all that money on a hotel room, consider going for an Airbnb, which sometimes costs just a fraction of the price of a hotel. It can be a bit intimidating staying in a random person’s house, but most renters on Airbnb have reviews, so just make sure to read them before making a reservation and take all necessary safety precautions. Also, staying in a hostel is a great way to save money on accommodation. There are many hostels that offer student discounts or provide packages geared towards students. So if you’re looking to save some extra money, consider staying in a hostel. On the other hand, if you are willing to spend some money on a hotel room, a great site to use is oyster.com. This site provides you with a list of pros and cons on numerous hotel around the world. It also provides you with pictures of the hotel that were taken by actual visitors, and not the fancy pictures you see on the hotel’s website.

I hope you find these tips helpful as you make plans for your next trip!